Fire escape



(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 1.

F. LYST. FIRE ESCAPE. HOIST, &c.

No. 582,753. Patented May 18, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Onricn.

FRANCIS LYST, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FIRE-ESCAPE, HOIST, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,753, dated May 18,1897.

Application filed February 4:, 1896. Serial No- 577,987. (No model.)Patented in England April 20, 1895, No. 7,911.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS LYsT, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain and Ireland, and a resident of 64 Somerville Road, I-Iatcham,London, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, Hoists, and Such Like, (for which Ihave obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 7,911, bearing date April20, 1895,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to portable elevators or extensible fire-escapesfor saving life at fires and for like purposes.

It consists of a combination of three distinct partsnamely, a carriagewith appliances for tilting same, a drum with a coiling ladder andappliances for coiling and uncoiling same, and a series of crossedextending lazy-tongs pivoted at their centers and each pair pivotallyconnected at their ends to the pair below and above them, withappliances for operating same.

I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of my inventionmounted upon a hand truck or cart, the rope ladder and coiling-drumbeing omitted. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of same. The ladder isindicated by two dotted lines. The drum on which the ladder is wound isalso shown. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a detailside view of the mechanism for keeping the platform at the upper end ofthe lazy-ton gs rigid and straight. Fig. 5 shows a front elevation ofFig. 4. In both Figs. 4 and 5 the top of the ladder is shown. Fig. 6shows a plan and side View of a preferable method of pivoting orconnecting the lazy-tongs where they cross each other. Fig. 7 shows aside and end view of the form of combined traveling nut and socket I usefor expanding and contracting the lazy-tongs by means of a right andleft handed screw-thread. Fig. 8 shows a plan view of my invention inthe closed position applied to a four-wheeled wagon. Fig. 9 shows aperspective view of Fig. 8 in the partially-raised position. In this andthe previous figure the lazy-tongs are indicated by means of plaindotted lines. Also, the arrangement for tilting the frame carrying thelazy-tongs is different from that previously shown, consisting, as itdoes, of a secondary set of lazy-tongs similar to but smaller than thosealready shown. Fig. 10 shows a detail half-plan view of the method ofemploying coiled springs to assist in the raising of the escape.

. a, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is the foundation platform or frame to which thewheels and axle are connected.

Z) is a secondary tilting support or frame on which the lazy-tongs andtheir fittings are mounted. This frame Z) is attached to the platform Ctby means of hinges a or other suitable means to allow same to be tiltedto any angle required by means of the rack-andpinion gear, as shown inFig. 1.

c is a vertical toothed rack which is attached to an extension-piece ofthe frame I). This rack c engages with a toothed pinion c, mounted upona small counter-shaft c supported by suitable bearings 0 This shaft canbe rotated in any suitable manner at either end by means of a hand-wheelor crank-handle 0 thus tilting the frame Z) as desired. Further, uponthe shaft 0 is mounted a looserunning tension-roller 0 round which therope ladder passes when being wound or unwound off its coiling-drum.

Referring now to the means for raisin gand lowering the lazy-tongs, d dare plumberblocks for supporting the right and left handedsquare-threaded screw 6, rotated by crank-handles 6 e e e are travelingnuts working on the screw 6. Attached to these nuts 6' are sockets whichreceive the ends of the lower pair of lazytongsf. This combined nut andsocket is shown in detail in Fig. 7.

f f are joints where the lazy-tongs f cross in their centers and join attheir ends, and are shown in detail in Fig. 6.

g is a cross'head (shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5) at, the upper endand forming the head of the lazy-tongs f, which head is kept straightand rigid by means of the mechanism described below, constituting amodified parallel motion. The cross-head consists of an angular piece ofiron of T-section, to the vertical part of which the upper pair oflazy-ton gs f are attached by means of the cross-head pin g". From thispin, the shank of which is preferably squared, there depends a slot-tedplate h, with slot and with this slot ongages a pin 7L2, projecting fromone end of an arm 7L3, the other end of which is pivoted to the nearestjoint f of the lazy-tongs f. Upon the two lateral ends of the cross-head are two brackets carrying two wheels, which conveniently hold thetop of the escape outward from the wall of a house. To the opposite sideof the cross-head are fastened the two extremities of the wire, rope, orchain ladder 7a, which runs downward over all the lazy-tongs, around thetension-roller 0 Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and is coiled onto the drum Z, whichis mounted upon the axle of the cart-wheels, so that when the lazy-tongsare expanded the rope ladder is also drawn up and unwound from the drum1.

On one side of the drum Z there is rigidly connected a smaller drum m,round which is coiled a wire guide-rope m, Figs. 2 and 3, which is ledupward toward and along part of the back of the frame b, round tensionpulleywheels m m and down the slot 12, formed in a center bar in theframe I), Fig. 3, where it is connected to abolt-pin f with a largehead, engaging with the under side of the slot 01, projecting downwardfrom the lowest crossjoint f of the lazy-tongs f. Vhcn the lazytongs areprojected or raised, the rope m ex: tending from the bolt-pin f to thedrum 121, will be wound upon said drum by the rotation of the drum Z,caused by the unwinding of the rope ladder therefrom. As the lazytongsare collapsed or lowered the movement of the pin f will unwind the ropem, cans ing the drum on to rotate, and with it the drum. Z, whereby therope ladder will be automatically rewound upon its drum when the ladderis lowered. The connection between the lazytongs and the frame will keepthe plane of the lazy-ton gs when being raised parallel with the planeof the frame I) at whatever angle it is tilted.

Referring to Fig. 10, which shows a method of employing longitudinalcoiled springs to assist in raising the lazy-ton gs, 0 is a barrel whichis placed parallel with the center bar in frame I) and is provided onone side with a slot 0',which contains apowerful coiled spring 0 To thehead of this spring is fastened in any convenient manner a wire rope o,the other end of which is fastened to the lowest joint f, where two ofthe lazy-tongs f meet. I also prefer in some cases to use transversesprings, connecting the outside joints of the lazy-tongs, as shown inFig. 3.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9, p is a fourwheeled conveyance supportingthe platform and frame a and b, as previously described. The frame I)is, however, tilted in a different manner, the mechanism for whichconsists of a supplementary smaller set of lazy-tongs q, as shown,expanded and contracted by a screw q, similar to that shown anddescribed in Fig. 1, but of reduced size.

The method of operating my improved fireescape is as follows: Theapparatus being hauled to the spot where its services are required, itis only necessary to tilt the carriage by means of the pinion and rack cc and turn the handles 8 0, so as to draw the nut-sockets c closelytogether, when the lazy-tongs f would be rapidly extended to any heightrequired, carrying with them the ladder 7s. When extended to thenecessary height, it is ready foraseent or descent. Vhen no longerrequired, the screw is turned the reverse way and the nut-sockets causedto recede from each other when the lazy-tongs collapse.

lIavin g now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape, the combination with the platform, of a tiltingframe pivoted there to, means connecting the platform and frame toeffect the adjustment of the latter, a series of lazy-ton gs pivotedtogether and carried by said frame, a connection between said frame andtongs whereby the tongs will travel in a plane parallel with the frame,a cross-head connected to the upper end of said tongs and having alateral extension therefrom carrying friction-rollers, trareling nutscarried by the opposite end of said tongs, a right and left hand screwsecu red to the frame and on which said nuts travel in oppositedirections, and means for operating said screw, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with the platform, of atiltingframe secured thereto, a series of lazy-tongs pivoted together andcarried by said frame, means to move one end of said tongs in oppositedirections, means for tilting said frame, and a connection be tween saidframe and tongs whereby the tongs will travel in a plane parallel withthe frame, substantially as described.

In a fire-escape, the combination with a support, of a series oflazy-tongs pivoted together and carried upon said support, means formoving one end of said tongs in opposite directions, a flexible ladderconnected to said tongs, a drum on which said ladder is wound, and meansoperated by the movement of said tongs to rotate said drum when thetongs are collapsed, substantially as described.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination with a support, of a series oflazy-tongs pivoted together and carried upon said support, means formoving one end of said lazy-tongs in opposite directions, a flexibleladder connected to the free endof said tongs so as to be carriedtherewith, a drum on which said ladder may be wound, an auxiliary drumconnected to said first-mentioned drum, and a connection between saidauxiliary drum and the lazy-tongs to rotate said drum and rewind theladder when the tongs are collapsed, substantially as described.

5. In a fire-escape, the combination with the platform of a tiltingframe secured thereto, a series of lazy-tongs pivoted together andcarried by said frame, means for moving one end of said tongs inopposite directions, a

cross-head secured to the opposite end of said tongs, lateral extensionsat the opposite sides of said cross-head, a flexible ladder connected toone of said extensions, and friction-rollers located upon the oppositeextension, substan tially as described.

6. In a fire-escape, the combination With a support, of a series oflazy-tongs pivoted together and carried by said support, means formoving one end of said tongs in opposite directions, a spring locatedupon said support, and a connection extending from said spring to thetongs to expand the latter, substantially as described.

7. In a fire-escape, the combination with a support, of a series oflazy-tongs pivoted together and carried thereby, means for moving oneend of said tongs in opposite directions, a casing secured to saidsupport, a spring located in said casing, and means connecting saidspring with the lazy-tongs, substantially as described.

8. In a fire-escape, the combination with a support, of extendinglazy-tongs pivoted together, operating mechanism for extending saidtongs, a slotted way connected to said support, and a standard travelingin said Way, and connected to said tongs to guide the tongs in a planeparallel to said support, substantially as described.

9. In a fire-escape, the combination with the platform, of a tiltingframe secured thereto, means for tilting said frame carried by saidplatform, a series of lazy-tongs pivoted together, a right and left handscrew secured to said frame, traveling nuts upon one end of saidlazy-tongs, a cross-head upon the 0pposite end of said tongs, a slottedWay secured to said frame, a bolt traveling in said Way and connected tosaid tongs, a flexible ladder connected to the free end of said tongs, adrum on which said ladder may be Wound, and springs connectedto saidtongs to assist in extending the same, substantially as described.

Signed at 97 Newgate Street, London, this 27th day of December, 1895.

FRANCIS LYST.

\Vitnesses SAMUEL S. BROMHEAD, A. V. MATHYS.

